WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda a global health emergency

The International Health Regulations determined that despite the outbreak, the Ebola virus does not meet the criteria of pandemic emergency.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

The declaration, made under the International Health Regulations, does not classify the event as a pandemic emergency. However, WHO said the outbreak meets the criteria for a public health emergency because it is extraordinary, poses a risk of international spread and requires international coordination.

As of 16 May 2026, authorities had reported eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province in eastern DRC, across at least three health zones: Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu. Uganda has also reported two confirmed cases in Kampala, including one death, in people who had travelled from DRC.

WHO said unusual clusters of community deaths with symptoms compatible with Bundibugyo virus disease had been reported across several health zones in Ituri, with suspected cases also reported in Ituri and North Kivu. The agency also raised concern about possible healthcare-associated transmission, citing at least four deaths among healthcare workers in a clinical context suggestive of viral haemorrhagic fever.

The situation is complicated by uncertainty over the true number of infections and the geographic spread of the outbreak. WHO noted that the early positivity rate among samples tested, reports of community deaths, population movement and insecurity in eastern DRC all point to a potentially larger outbreak than currently detected.

Unlike Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain, WHO noted that there are currently no approved Bundibugyo virus-specific vaccines or therapeutics, increasing the importance of rapid detection, infection prevention and supportive clinical care.

Neighbouring countries urged to prepare

Countries sharing land borders with affected areas have been urged to strengthen preparedness immediately. WHO said neighbouring states should increase surveillance in health facilities and communities, establish access to qualified diagnostic laboratories, train health workers in infection prevention and prepare rapid response teams.

Any country detecting a suspected or confirmed case, contact, or cluster of unexplained deaths should treat it as a health emergency and act within the first 24 hours, WHO said. This includes isolating cases, confirming diagnosis and beginning contact tracing.

WHO also advised at-risk countries to prepare regulatory approvals for investigational therapeutics as a matter of urgency.

WHO advises against border closures

For countries outside the affected region, the agency warned that such measures are not supported by science and may make the outbreak harder to control by pushing people and goods through informal, unmonitored border crossings. Restrictions could also damage local economies and complicate logistics and security for response operations.

Instead, WHO said countries should provide accurate information to travellers going to affected or at-risk areas, work with airlines and transport operators to ensure measures do not exceed WHO advice and prepare to support evacuation or repatriation of exposed nationals, including health workers.

WHO also said entry screening at airports or other ports of entry outside the affected region is not considered necessary for passengers returning from at-risk areas.

The Director-General of WHO, under the provisions of the IHR, will be convening an Emergency Committee, as soon as possible to advise, inter alia, on the proposed temporary recommendation for States Parties to respond to the event.

The WHO advice is enumerated below and will be subject to further refinement as appropriate after having considered the advice from the Emergency Committee and issuing of Temporary Recommendations.

Vietnam's response

In response to WHO's update, Vietnam's Ministry of Health has advised its people to take precaution and monitor their health closely. According to the ministry, the disease can be transmitted "through direct contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person or a person who dies from Ebola; or through objects and surfaces contaminated with the body fluids of a sick person."

Common signs of the viral infection may include: 

• fever
• fatigue
• headache
• muscle aches
• sore throat
• vomitting
• diarrhoea
• abdominal pain
• rash 
• in some cases; hemorrhage

The Ministry said it is closely monitoring the development of the epidemic, regularly updating information from WHO, the focal agency for the implementation of the National Health Regulation and strengthening surveillance at medical facilities and medical quarantine at border gates.

In the meantime, individual are advised to: 

• Not panic and follow official information from the Ministry of Health and WHO.
• Those returning from epidemic areas are required to self-monitor their health for 21 days.
• Do not have direct contact with a person with symptoms of suspected Ebola, blood, body fluids, or belongings.

MOH has urged those symptomatic to immediately seek medical attention and notify the travel and contact history for timely guidance. 

"The Ministry of Health will continue to update the situation and guide prevention and control measures in accordance with the development of the epidemic."

Similarly, the HKSAR Government has activated the Alert Response Level under its Preparedness and Response Plan for Ebola Virus Disease, with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health rolling out a series of prevention and control measures to strictly guard against imported cases, including:

• Strengthening health screening for passengers arriving on flights from Africa at the airport. Port health officers will conduct temperature checks at the relevant flight gates and health screenings for passengers exhibiting symptoms. Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for isolation and treatment until specimens test negative for the virus;
• Strengthening public awareness and health education efforts regarding Ebola disease at all boundary control points, including broadcasting announcements and posting posters to alert travellers;
• Providing the Airport Authority and local airlines with the latest information on the virus; and
• Sending letters to all doctors and hospitals in Hong Kong to alert them of the latest situation of Ebola disease.

Read the full update here.